Published: February 28th 2010 - at 10:14 am

Behind Labour’s secret ‘multicultural plot’


by Guest    

contribution by 5 Chinese Crackers

On the back of my article last week, I started looking for the evidence behind the idea that the government was involved in a dastardly sercet plot to increase immigration ‘for social reasons’.

That is of course code for ‘increasing multiculturalism’ or worse still ‘importing people who will vote Labour’.

The first set of reports in the press were apparently based on an early draft of the Executive Summary of a document produced by Civil Servants from the Home Office and Cabinet Office.  We were treated to nice little snippets in the Mail showing us exactly what had been removed. 

Imagine the dishonesty of taking things out of a document.   There’s definitely a secret plot if someone does that.

MigrationWatch helpfully include a link to the early draft of the Executive Summary (PDF file) so we can have a look at it ourselves and see the evidence of conspiractsts’ mucky paws all over it.

Imagine my surprise when I realised that the Mail’s version of the document is also very heavily edited (included in the pull out quote box here).  There are numbers next to the Mail’s quote box listing the edits.  They look like paragraph numbers, right?

That’s what I thought when I saw the Mail version, but they’re not.  What the Mail labels as ’1′ is the first edit in the summary, it only lists 6 of 9 edits, and context is removed from around the edits, which makes them look like they made a bigger part of the document than they actually did (plus, I can’t find half of the sixth edit anywhere).

The most important thing that’s been edited from the newspaper coverage of the draft is this:

This study is for discussion purposes only and does not constitute a statement of Government policy.  In particular, this study is intended to be the start of a process of further research and debate – by identifying both what we know from existing data sources and analysis, and where further analysis is required.

See that bit where it says it ‘does not constitute a statement of Government policy’?  That’s the clue that it’s not a chuffing policy document.  You know what that bit is?  The equivalent of the old joke about finding the missing page of the Bible that says ‘This is a work of fiction…’

So when MigrationWatch and the papers describe it as a policy document they’re not telling the truth.  When everyone is up in arms because this proves Labour policy was to increase multiculturalism they’re talking rubbish.  The document does not state policy.

Another bit – you’ll love this – comes in a section titled ‘Social outcomes’.  It was removal of reference to social outcomes in the Executive Summary that made the papers and Andrew Green say that there was a mad conspiracy to keep the social outcomes secret.  But there’s a whole section about them in the main document.

The second set of reports are new revelations about the ‘plot’ in the last few days, culminating in this front page in the Express:


If Labour was talking about the Express, they were bang on the money.  Same joke as Anton and MacGuffin, but I couldn’t let that one go.

These new stories are about more references cut from a draft document.  It’s probably the same document as this Executive Summary.  Trouble is, nobody’s given us the full version to compare. 

Apparently, it says something about how studies show that anti-immigration sentiment is more closely aligned to racism than economic reasoning, and the tabloids have spun this into calling anyone who objects to immigration racist.  Maybe these bits were cut because the evidence wasn’t good enough, maybe someone decided the studies weren’t that simple or maybe these studies were contradicted with other evidence so it was easier to cut it all.  Difficult to know without seeing the original.

Still, we’ve already seen the best bit, so it doesn’t matter too much.  I’m a bit surprised that such a big storm has been whipped up from something so small.

Imagine what might be in the original though.  There’s an evil conspiracy to keep it from us.  It’s a secret plot!

The Mail originally included some direct quotes from the document, but they’ve been cut.  Cut!  There – it’s proof of a secret tabloid conspiracy to keep the truth from us.  The truth is that immigration is brilliant and if we increase the population to 70 million we all get free ice creams and a picture of Anne Hathaway or Orlando Bloom in the nuddy!

They’re keeping it from us.  Betrayal!


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Reader comments


So, the newspapers quoting a government document rather than printing it entirely means that it must be dishonestly distorted?

And the fact it was an ”early draft of the Executive Summary of a document produced by Civil Servants from the Home Office and Cabinet Office.” rather than a ‘policy document’ somehow means we should ignore what is in it and just pretend it never existed?

Sorry, but your entire post is an exercise in sophistry attempting to hide the plain facts of the matter which is that the government secretly and deliberately encouraged immigration into Britain. Perhaps your efforts would be better engaged actually considering the rights and wrongs of that?

2. Uncle Vanya De Caesaromagus

Exactly. It has been the “Holy Grail” of Cultural Marxism in the UK to dumb down society at any cost, and for however long it takes. Although Labour in the disguise of ‘New Labour’ is to the political right of Old Labour. These same Yoghurt crunching, Bed wetting, Psuedo-Marxist Dipsticks are determinded to undermine UK society with their stupidity of ‘Multi-culturalism’ and all sorts of other ‘Isms’.

There are those within the Labour movement, TUC and other areas who are determined to move society “Back to the Future” to the days of scargillism, and the loony left. Just looking at the Rent a Mob of the Socialist Workers Party demonstrating outside the Brighton Conference Centre against the Torys is an example of this. Why were they demonstrating – the Torys aren’t even in government. They should have been demonstrating outside Downing Street.

Maybe it was a paid day out to the seaside with beer and sandwiches for the hands out doley scrounging costituency of New Labour!!

Me – I just want my country and society back from the numptyness that is being propagated by Marxist Diptsticks.

@2

All you needed was “it’s political correctness gone mad!” and I could’ve ticked off every phrase in my Big Bumper Book of Right-Wing Clichés. What is it with you lot, can’t you think of anything vaguely original?

3/10. Must try harder.

@Kongoldboy

“So, the newspapers quoting a government document rather than printing it entirely means that it must be dishonestly distorted?”

No. That was a joke based on the newspapers’ claim that something edited out of the executive summary means the authors were hiding something. It’s like goldy or coppery, but with iron.

“And the fact it was an ”early draft of the Executive Summary of a document produced by Civil Servants from the Home Office and Cabinet Office.” rather than a ‘policy document’ somehow means we should ignore what is in it and just pretend it never existed?”

That’s a nice strawman you’ve got there. It just means it doesn’t prove what Labour policy was or wasn’t at any given time, because it wasn’t a statement of policy. This post should be read alongside my last on here, which Sunny headlined Right wingers are living in immigration conspiracy land, which includes more on why this latest conspiracy is just that.

“Sorry, but your entire post is an exercise in sophistry attempting to hide the plain facts of the matter which is that the government secretly and deliberately encouraged immigration into Britain. Perhaps your efforts would be better engaged actually considering the rights and wrongs of that?”

Ooh. Get you. Are the ‘plain facts of the matter’ that this document is proof the government secretly encouraged immigration? Because it isn’t. It’s really, really crappy evidence.

I’ve written more on this, which pulls everything together over at MailWatch in Did the government secretly plot to change the fae of Britain, if you’re interested. I doubt you are though.

@Uncle Vanya:

I have absolutely no idea of what you’re on about. Seriously.

Guys (Kingoldby and Uncle Vanya), I have little, if any, sympathy with the broad political stance generally taken on this site and, if I’m honest, I usually come on it to take the piss but even I think you’re both barking.

Now, take five minutes, re – read what you both posted and run along and get yourselves sectioned, ok? Or are you, in fact, having a “who can use the largest number of idiotic, Daily – Mail inspired cliches in the shortest space” competition? If that’s the case then Uncle Vanya is the winner.

Incidentally, Uncle V, yoghurt usually isn’t crunchy and consumption of it isn’t a reliable indicator of someone’s political viewpoint.

5 cc

Once again you are trying to make a big deal out of the fact that this was not a government policy document. This is extremely disingenuous. You know full well that the only reason that this document came to public attention was because Andrew Neather cited it as the main influence and source that he used when writing a speech for the then immigration minister, Barbara Roche, announcing an about turn in government policy.

You are also using the old leftie trick of bundling up different sorts of immigrants (as different as chalk and cheese) and then speculating about the ‘economic benefits’.

Sure there are economic benefits from Indian html coders. Or doctors. Or Polish builders. But WTF are the economic benefits of bringing in veterans from some Somali warlord’s private army, who don’t speak a word of English? Or more mail order husbands from Mirpur?

I think you missed this reply to you in the last thread.

“Once again you are trying to make a big deal out of the fact that this was not a government policy document.”

Nope. This is the first time. Published this post at my place before I mentioned it in the comments here, and Sunny’s cross-posted it.

“You know full well that the only reason that this document came to public attention was because…”

No. I know full well itwas published. There’s no secret shadowy document that only came to light when it was mentioned (by someone who categorically stated there was no plot, no less), there was a published document that had things edited out of the executive summary in the drafting process. Most of those things made their way into the full published document in one way or another anyway, as I outlined here at MailWatch. There are plenty of social outcomes mentioned in the published document, alongside mentions of the government’s social objectives that are apparently secret and must be cut out.

“You are also using the old leftie trick…”

I’m not using any ‘tricks’ to make claims about economic advantages. As I explained already, I’m pointing out what the government was saying at the time about economic advantages because that has bearing on what government thinking was at the time. Do you see the difference?

You’re still left with some really shitty evidence for a secret plot.

There was no plot. I will accept that. And that those who have highlighted it so much have been trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Fine. Now what about these ”immigration dog-whistles” by the Tories?
That accusation is made up too (isn’t it?)

See dog-whistle thread.

10. Golden Gordon

Conspiracies you have got to love them
The right believe in some co-ordinated efficient move towards multiculturalism for the reason of gerrymandering votes. In reality most Immigrants vote for the free market, that is certainly true of the 2nd and 3rd generation of immigrant.
The left in a Zionist take over.
Both are barking and should get back to reading their Ludlum novels

11. Flowerpower

5 cc

If there wasn’t a plot, then the only explanation we are left with is that the Labour government was staggeringly incompetent – it lost control of the borders and permitted a massive influx of immigrants for whom it had made no arrangements by way of public services provision. Thus immigrants arrived in communities where there were insufficient resources allocated to housing, health or education. Government had neither planned for them nor funded them.

I’d guess ministers are hoping people DO buy the conspiracy explanation as they’d prefer to be seen as clever schemers than total bozos.

Does your close study of the rhetoric of the time suggest they were daft enough to believe there were economic advantages to be gained from immigration from Somalia?

Or were the anticipated advantages merely ‘social’ – the’yd help to reduce the crime rate, perhaps, or provide role models of moderate Islam?

@Flowerpower:

Woah! So many Daily Mail cliches in such a short comment. They’ve lost control of the borders. Massive influx! Run for your lives!

Sorry. Of course, when you’re given the option between shadowy conspiracy and incompetence, the latter is the most sensible choice. Although I obviously don’t share your assessment of the cataclysmic consequences of immigration.

“Thus immigrants arrived in communities where there were insufficient resources allocated to housing…”

We’re usually talking about Eastern Europeans in relation to this sort of thing. The larger number of Eastern Europeans arriving after the accession of the A8 countries is one example of where the government did cock up, by underestimating the scale and not allocating proper resources. Eastern Europeans, of course, cannot vote in general elections.

“Does your close study of the rhetoric of the time suggest they were daft enough to believe there were economic advantages to be gained from immigration from Somalia?”

Who are you, Rod Liddle? Careful there, you’re sailing very close to the racism whirlpool.

Given that such a large chunk of the Somalian population in the UK are here seeking asylum, I’d guess that reasons for allowing Somalians to live here are compassionate. Just a thought.

“Or were the anticipated advantages merely ’social’ – the’yd help to reduce the crime rate, perhaps, or provide role models of moderate Islam?”

Dangerously close. Careful you don’t get sucked in.

@12

“If there wasn’t a plot, then the only explanation we are left with is that the Labour government was staggeringly incompetent …”

I strongly recommend listening to David Goodhart’s recent Radio 4 programme asking exactly that. Indeed, most of Goodhart’s writing about immigration (largely for Prospect) has been both insightful and based on evidence – rare for this emotive subject.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Behind Labour's secret 'multicultural plot' http://bit.ly/a8qnqo

  2. Pickled Politics » Tories playing the race card and agreeing with Nick Griffin

    [...] there was some vast Labour plot to deliberately foist these Labour-voting immigrants on them. The idea just beggars belief and yet they all believe [...]

  3. uberVU - social comments

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by libcon: Behind Labour’s secret ‘multicultural plot’ http://bit.ly/a8qnqo...





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